3D Geomodelling of Alpine structures: the Misox Shear Zone (Swiss)

3D models are fundamental tools for studying the evolution of complex geological structures, such as shear zones in the metamorphic core of the Alps.
The study’s case is the area of the San Bernardino Pass (Swiss), focusing on the study of the structural and metamorphic evolution of HP units outcropping here.
The area of the San Bernardino Pass is part of the Penninic domain, an Alpine domain consisting of continental and oceanic crust derived from the distal margin of Europe, subducted during the Alpine orogeny.
In this area, the Adula nappe is in contact with the overlying Tambò nappe (part of the eastern flank of the Lepontine Dome) along a wide shear zone of several hundreds of metres.
This work is focused on the 3D modelling of the shear zone and the superposed fold system developed within the Adula nappe, in the hanging wall of the shear zone
Starting from original field data and available geological maps, structures were approximated and drawn using the open-source software QGIS to create a simplified geological-structural map.
These data are fundamental constraints for drawing geological sections using the open-source software PZero (https://github.com/andrea-bistacchi/PZero).
After careful reconstruction of serial geological cross-sections in PZero, advanced interpolation techniques such as implicit methods can be applied to develop accurate geological models.

PZero is an open-source software currently in development, dedicated to 3D geological modeling, featuring a user-friendly interface designed for structural geologists.